1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to brushes and, more particularly, to a carpet brush having a defined bristle construction forming an angulated array and method of cleaning a fibrous area.
2. History of the Prior Art
The prior art is replete with brush designs adapted for a myriad of applications. These brushing implements are used upon a variety of surfaces for removing dust and debris as well as removing unwanted objects from fabrics and rugs. Over the last century, design changes in brush implements have included improvements in both the bristle construction, the bristle array, the brush head and the handle. In the main these improvements have been directed toward improving the efficiency of the brush for the particular application. Long bristled brushes are most widely seen with stiff bristles in the form of brooms. Soft Bristles are used in removing dust and the like. Short bristles are by their nature more rigid and are more commonly seen in human hair brushes and animal brushes.
The construction of a brush appears fairly simple to the layman. In fact, hand made brushes are put together from available materials when necessary. However, commercial brushes designed for specific applications necessitate technical considerations that often go unnoticed by the consumer. Brush bristle texture is one such example. The type of bristle utilized in commercial brushes depends on the particular brush application. Likewise the space in between bristles is dependent on its ultimate use. Hair brushes provide a perfect example because some bristles are spaced far apart to remove tangles while other bristles are spaced in a tighter knit configuration for shaping hair. The same fibers when bunched closer together and in a shorter bristle configuration can then be found in animal brushes where it is necessary to apply a great deal of force to both the hair and the underlying skin. One such hair brush designed specifically for animals is seen in the Furter U.S. Pat. No. 183,758. This 1876 reference teaches a horse brush and the utilization of a bristle array particularly adapted for animal grooming. Tufts of different lengths are distributed evenly across the surface of the brush. This permits the user to apply a combination of pressures against the horse's hair in a technique which is used even today.
Other examples of prior art brush designs include U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,589. This 1981 patent to Pierre Alvin teaches a road sweeping broom constituted by a handle and a bundle of fibers fixed to one of its ends. The invention finds a particular application in the domain of highway equipment. This reference teaches a broom that is both lightweight, has even handling and sweeping power while offering much greater resistance to wear and tear and thus a longer life. One of the features of the invention disclosed therein is the use of synthetic fibers in conjunction with vegetable fibers preferably homogeneously bound together at one of the ends of the broom. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,296 teaches a dusting tool. This 1967 patent to W. P. Richardson teaches the utilization of softer fibers for dusting brushes suitable for sweeping smooth surfaced floors. Again, the bristle configuration was addressed whereby a center brush area comprised relatively short, substantially vertically disposed tufts of bristles extending from a brush back, surrounded by tufts of relatively longer bristles extending from the brush back and flaring outwardly.
Modern brush designs have also addressed applications other than grooming and sweeping. Brushes with short, stiff bristles are used for toothbrushes and one particular bristle array is set forth and shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,622,259. This 1952 patent to F. E. Chauvin teaches a toothbrush having separate rows of long bristles and short bristles particularly adapted for oral hygiene. The usefulness of the variable bristle length is seen in this particular application which is adapted for the human mouth to maximize effectiveness of brushing. The same holds true in cleaning applications. U.S. Pat. No. 3,087,223 teaches a brush device for napped or pile fabrics. This 1963 patent to M. F. Raw teaches a brush having an angulated array of brush bristles which are particularly adapted for cleaning pile fabrics. It may be seen that the angular orientation of the bristles in conjunction with the adjacent field of bristles afford particular advantages in a cleaning operation. Likewise U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,995 is a more recent patent teaching an improved brush for removing animal hair from carpeting. This 1977 patent to Hyman Varon discloses a field of smooth, tapered, polyethylene teeth which are referred to therein as bristles extending down from the head attached to a broom handle. The density of the bristles at the trailing edge is greater than at the front edge of the broom and the bristles are arranged in a sawtooth leading edge pattern also encompassing a tapered field thereacross. Once the head is attached to a handle it may be pulled across a carpet surface for removing animal hair and the like, which remain in the brush.
Particular bristle configurations are thus seen to be the subject of an every improving technology. The maximum utilization of brushes for the cleaning of carpet has, however, not been the subject of as much technological attention in recent decades due to the advent of the vacuum cleaner. Vacuum cleaners are well known to be the most efficient means for regularly cleaning carpet areas. In certain instances, however, the use of the vacuum cleaner is both cumbersome and inconvenient. Such is the case of small trash spills. In such instances, the use of a brush particularly adapted for cleaning contemporary carpets would be of great help. When dirt, hair or similar debris is left in a carpet due to lack of convenience it has a better chance of becoming lodged deep in the pile and permanently soiling the carpet. A small handbrush particularly adapted for carpets and the manner in which dirt and debris infiltrate carpet fibers would a marked advance over the prior art. Prior art brushes simply do not provide for the removal of lint, debris and small dust particles from carpet piles with the degree of efficiency afforded by a vacuum cleaner. The present invention overcomes the problems of the prior art by providing a carpet brush particularly adapted for removing dirt, lint and debris from upon and between carpet fibers from a simple brushing action. The brush of the present invention is constructed with a tapering bristle array affording both flexibility and rigidity in a configuration particularly adapted for cleaning carpet.